Brake



June 11, 1929. OCQNNQR 1,716,864

BRAKE Fi l ad Aug 50. 1926 xiv 3y Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. ooomvon, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,-ASSIG1\TOR T W. H. MINER, live, or

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A oonronnrron on DELAWARE.

BRAKE.

Application filed August 30, 1926. Serial No. 132,482.

This invention relates to brakes.

An objectof the invention is to provide a brakefor railway and other vehicles having means for quickly taking up the slack of the fbrake chain, and thereafter automatlcally 1ncreasing the leverage ratio pull on the brake chain during the final application of the braking pressure. j

Another object of the invention is to provide a power'increasing device of this character', comprising lever means connected with the brake rigging in suchmanner that during the initial application of power to the brake rigging, the leverineans travel nrinoperative position, and whenthe tensionis ncreased on the rigging so as to initiate swinging movement of the lever means, portions of the brake rigging engage the lever'means to provide a fixed fulcrum therefor, automatically putting into action the power multiplying eifect of the arms of the lever. The parts are arranged so that upon the release of the'brake rigging they will automatically resume their original positions.

Other and further objects of the invention will more fully and clearly appear from the descriptionand claims hereinafter following.

Figure 1 isa fragmentary side elevational view of a railway car having a brake winding mechanism, andshowing my invention used in connection therewith, the parts being shown in fully released position. Figure 2 is a top plan, part-sectional View, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure'l; and Figure 3 is a part sectional, part elevational view of the invention taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1. j y

In the drawings, 10 represents a fragment of a railway car,.11 a supportingbracket, 12 a brake winding staff, 13 a ratchet mechanism for preventing retrograde rotation'of the staff 12, and 14 the usual brake supporting stirrup for the lower end of the brake stafl.

The invention broadly includes guiding means A, power multiplying means B, lever operating rigging C, and connecting means D leading to the brake shoes proper.

The guide means A comprise suitably spaced longitudinally extending supporting rails or bars 15-15, each of which is provided with angular sections 16-16 atits opposite ends, which have their free ends secured to the under surfaceof the car structure by rivets or other suitable securing means indicated at 17.

The lever means-comprise a pair of spaced lever arms 18-18, said arms being connected together by means of a semi-circular engaging hub 19, whichhas semi-circular flanges 20-20 at its ends, and which also has an integral radially extending web 21, as shown in Figure 3, whichis providedjwith a centrally arranged notch 22 for co-operation with an elementof the brake'rigging hereinafter described; The lever means is provided with trunnions 220-220 located substantially coaxially with respect to the center of the bearing portion 19, the lever means being disposed between the rails 15-15, and the trunnions 220-220 resting upon the top edges of said rails as best shown in Figure 3, said trunnions providinga support having slidable engagement with the top edges of the rails The bifurcated ends of the lever means are provided with a pin which projects outwardly as indicated at 24, the ends of said pinbeing adapted to rest upon the top edges of the rails15-15. Between the arms of the lever, upon the pin '24, there is .rotatably mounted asheave 25, adapted to accommodate the brake chain. The brake rigging C comprises a brake chain indicated at 27, having oneend connected to the brake staff '12 ata point spaced upwardly from its lower end as indicated at 28, said chain extending toward the sheave 25, beinglooped over said sheave and extending by means of the leg 128 to the lower end of the brake stall, 12 or its supporting step, to avoid friction.

, (lo-operating with the lever means 18-18 are connecting links 29-29, each of which has oneend mounted upon a pin 30, carried by said lever means adjacent the trunnions 220-220, and disposed somewhat to one side of the longitudinalcenter line of the lever means, as shown. The intermediate portions of the links 29-29 are cut out as indicated at 31, so that when the links are in a substantially horizontal position they provide room to permit bearing of the ends of the pin 24 upon the top surfaces of the rails 15-15.

The free ends ofthe links 29-29 have a pin 32 extending therethrough, and between the ends of said links upon said pin, there is pivotally mounted the connecting member I), which has an extension 3 1 which is connected with the brake shoes proper. In order to maintain the power multiplying mechanism in assembled relation with the rails or guides 1515, keepers 3535 in the form of bars are secured to the uprights,1616 at one side of the rails 15 15 and slightly above the trunnions provided by the pins 28 and 32, so that the device is maintained at all times in assembled relation with the rails and the lever means are free to operate in the desired manner.

In operation, upon clockwiserotation of the staff 12, the leg 27 of the brake chain is wound upon the brake staff, causing travel of the rigging G as permitted by thesheave 25, causing the lever means to travel in a horizontal position toward the staff 12 due to the fact that in taking up of the slack there is relatively little resistance encountered in the brake rigging. The movement of the lever means is transmitted through the medium of the links 2929, and the connecting member 34., to the brake shoes proper. When increased resistance is encountered in the brake rigging, due to the engagement of the brake shoes with the wheels, the increase in resistance causes the lever means to swing upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 in a clockwise direction toward the brake stafi 12. This movement of the lever means elevates the leg 128 of the brake chain, causing the same to move into the notch 22 formed in the bearing portion 19, thereby arresting the sliding movement ofthe lever means toward the staff 12, so that further taking up of the brake chain swings the lever means about a relatively fixed fulcrum point with a consequent great increase in the power ratio, the power being transmitted through the links 2929 to the brake shoes proper.

Upon the release of the braking rigging by the unwinding of the brake staff, the lever means are drawn to the original position causing release of the leg 128 of the brake chain, so that the mechanism resumes its position for another operation.

While I have herein shown and described 'what I now consider the preferred manner in carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a brake, the combination with a brake staff of supporting means secured to the car structure; of lever means adapted to swing about one end as a fulcrum, said fulcrum end being provided with trunnion elements and a holding element, and the opposite end of said lever means having a sheave mounted thereon link means pivotally connected to said lever means intermediate the ends of the latter, and the opposite end of said link means being connected with the brake shoes proper, said opposite end having trunnion elements associated therewith, all of said trunnion elements bearing on and being movable with respect to said supporting means and re taining elements cooperating with said supporting means for-confining said trunnions to movement in a predetermined path; and a double ended chain connected to said staff and having anintermediate portion looped over said sheave, one end portion of said chain extending in proximity to the holding element on said lever means and adapted to be engaged thereby in certain positions of the parts. j c

2. In a brake, the combination with a brake staif of lever means adapted to swing about one end as a fulcrum, said fulcrum end having a holding element connected therewith and the opposite end of said lever means carrying a rotatable sheave, link means con nected at one end to said lever means, and at the opposite end adapted to be connected to the brake shoes proper; a double ended chain having one end connected to said staff and the other end fixed and having an intermediate portion looped over said sheave, one end portion of said chain extending in proximity to said holding element on said lever means and adapted to be engagedthereby in certain positions of the parts; and means for confining the fulcrum end of said lever means and the end of said link means remote from said lever means,-to movement in predetermined'positions.

3. In a brake, the combination with a winding staff; of lever means adapted to swing about one end as a fulcrum, said fulcrum end being notched, and the opposite end of said lever means being provided with a rotatable sheave; a double ended brake chain composed of a plurality of connected links providing abutment projections at opposite ends of each connected link, said chain having one end connected to said winding staif and the opposite end fixed, an intermediate portion of said chain being looped over said sheave, and one end portion of said chain extending in proximity to the notch of said lever means and adapted to have one of the links disposed therein when the lever is swung toward a vertical direction with the adjacent link in abutment with the lever; and means adapted to connect said lever means to the brake shoes proper.

4. In a brake mechanism, the combination with an operating member for taking up a chain; of a chain connected at one end to said. operating member and having the other end fixed; a power-multiplying mechanism, including a lever having said chain trained thereabout; a link pivoted to said lever adjacent one end thereof, said last named end of the lever interlocking with the chain when the lever is swung on said pivot to compel said end of the lever to fulcrum on the chain, said link being operatively connected to the brake shoes of the brake mechanism proper; and means for guiding the connected pivotal portion of the lever and link and the opposite end fixed path.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have 10 hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of August, 1926.

JOHN F. OGONNOR. 

